My thoughts on Western Hockey League Draft prospects, the Western Hockey League, the NHL Entry Draft, and Hockey in general...

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Kootenay Ice 5 at Regina Pats 4

Game Notes:

The home team played reasonably well in the first period, out shooting Kootenay 15 -- 8, yet they trailed 2-0 after one. The second period was dominated by Kootenay as they took a 4-0 lead. Regina stormed back in the third to tie the game, but subsequently lost in the shootout.

Prospect Notes:This game was a bit of a disappointment from a scouting perspective as there were two Kootenay prospects out of the lineup. Defenseman Brayden McNabb(#73 CSB) was not playing because of a concussion. When a prospect suffers a concussion in his draft year it is incumbent upon scouts to investigate the extent of the injury. Also, goaltender Nathan Lieuwen (#12 CSB) did not play in favor of Todd Mathews. However, I will report on two other Kootenay prospects:

Hayden Rintoul (#181 CSB)Hayden is a solid all-around defenseman. His coach obviously has confidence in his play as he sees ice time in all situations, penalty killing, power-play, and even strength. In terms of skating ability he is average, with a slight knock-kneed style. He is agile enough to avoid getting beat in one-on-one situations, but he plays a conservative style and does not take risks. In his own end he consistently maintains good positioning and understanding of his role. His puck handling ability is adequate, but he lacks creativity. Hayden does not play a rugged physical style, but he uses his stick well in defensive situations. Overall, Hayden has a positive contribution to his team and is a valuable player. However, as of right now I would consider drafting Hayden only in the late rounds.

Jesse Ismond (Not Ranked)Despite not being ranked by Central Scouting, this is a kid that caught my eye. In terms of skating ability he generates speed and acceleration with a slightly bow-legged style -- should contribute to positive further development in my view. His offensive skill level is only average right now as his vision of the ice needs to improve. He had a nice game with two assists. The aspect of his game that I admired the most was his fearlessness in going to the net and his willingness to go to the difficult areas in order to contribute offensively. Jesse is not a big kid and will definitely need to develop strength in order to play at the next level. Maybe I caught him on a good night, but I liked what I saw. I would encourage scouts to keep an eye on him and consider him in the later rounds.

Because I see the prospects on the Regina team so often I will not report on them every game. I will do so at a later date. For readers of this blog, I especially encourage feedback if you notice factual errors in my assessments.

Thanks for your thoughtful question. In regard to Jesse I would say that right now the return on his stride is limited -- in other words he does not have full leg extension. However, the potential for improvement is there.

Widetracking is tough as so much of it comes down to re-conditioning the whole pelvic region and muscle memory is infinitely more difficult with each passing year. After a certain age (usually puberty plus a year) it just becomes more and more difficult to get the body to respond to that type of training.

I have heard a theory that the average posty puberty player requires 80 hours of intense instruction for each inch lost on the return. Is this true? Don't know.

The best exaple of a player in the WHL who needs work in this area is Christian Magnus (now of Koot). A kid in Midget AAA who has really defied and smashed the norms is the Paslawski boy from Tisdale. I have never seen a kid change his skating so much in a short period. Still raw and hasn't been in a structured environment until this year, but his widetracking was so bad and went to almost non existent in a fairly short period.

Brent Bobyck (Regina) is the best I have seen in correcting this condition.

And how about that bowlegged and bent knee Bobby Orr. Number 4 would go coast-to-coast with his fifth and sixth gear accelerations, I understand being enhanced by his signature skating style. I also understand that this style attributed significantly to his knee problems later on.

About Me

I am a 40-year-old former Western Hockey League player. In 1987 I suffered a spinal cord injury and am a quadriplegic. From 2001-2004 I worked in the amateur scouting department for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks.